Footballs · OEM & private label
Custom football & soccer ball manufacturer in Sialkot, Pakistan
ForgeSports is a soccer ball manufacturer in Sialkot, Pakistan, the city that makes most of the world's hand-stitched footballs. As a football manufacturer for brands, clubs and distributors, we make private label match, training, futsal and promotional balls, hand-stitched, machine-stitched or thermo-bonded, with your logo, colours and packaging. Each design is quoted to your specification, and you approve a physical sample before production.
- Hand-stitched, machine-stitched or thermo-bonded
- Sizes 5, 4, 3, futsal & minis
- Quoted per specification
- MOQ confirmed per design
Match & training ballsQuoted per spec
Ball range
Match, training, futsal & promotional footballs
Four ball types cover almost every brand, club and promotional order. Each can be built in more than one construction and cover; the cards show where buyers usually start.
Match balls
For league and tournament play, and for your brand's flagship model. Built for roundness, consistent flight and tight weight tolerances.
Typical spec: thermo-bonded or hand-stitched · PU cover · latex or butyl bladder · sizes 5 and 4
Training balls
The volume ball for clubs, academies and distributors buying bulk soccer balls. Built for repeated sessions on grass and artificial turf, with a bladder that holds air between sessions.
Typical spec: machine- or hand-stitched · TPU or hard-wearing PU cover · butyl bladder · sizes 5, 4 and 3
Futsal balls
Smaller but heavy for their size, with a low-bounce build for hard indoor floors. Futsal Law 2 sets 62–64 cm, 400–440 g and a first bounce of 50–65 cm from a 2 m drop. If you need a futsal ball manufacturer, send us your league's requirements.
Typical spec: stitched construction · PU cover · low-bounce bladder · futsal size 4
Promotional & mini balls
Full-size and mini balls printed with a sponsor, club or event logo for promotional distributors, events and fan shops. Built to a price, but still round and properly printed.
Typical spec: machine-stitched · PVC or TPU cover · butyl bladder · sizes 5 to 1
Construction
Hand-stitched vs machine-stitched vs thermo-bonded footballs
Construction is the biggest decision on any ball. It sets the price, how round and water-resistant the ball is, and even how it ships. Tell us your market and target price, and we'll recommend the construction that fits and confirm the options for your design.
| Construction | How it's made | Feel & flight | Water uptake | Cost & speed | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand-stitched | Panels (classically 32) stitched by hand with polyester thread, seams turned inside | Soft touch, strong seams | Moderate; seams can take on water | Slow: about five balls a day per stitcher | Match and premium training balls |
| Machine-stitched | Panels sewn by machine; seams more exposed on the surface | Firmer; seams are the wear point | Higher at the seams | Fastest and lowest cost: about 70 balls a day per worker | Training, recreational and promotional balls |
| Thermo-bonded | Panels glued to the carcass under heat and pressure, with no stitches | Roundest, most consistent flight | Lowest; close to waterproof | Highest tooling and unit cost | Top match balls, premium brand models |
| "Hybrid" | No standard meaning. Some makers use it for machine-stitched balls with glued seams, others for bonded balls | Varies | Varies | Varies | Ask any supplier to define it in writing |
Output per worker from LUMS Centre for Entrepreneurship (2026). On "hybrid", the Dutch brand SKOR describes its hybrid balls as machine-stitched and then glued, while other brands use the word for bonded balls.
Hand-stitched footballs
Hand-stitched balls are slower and dearer to make, but many buyers still want them for their soft touch and their story. Hand-stitching has fallen to roughly a fifth of Sialkot's ball output, so if you need a hand-stitched football manufacturer for your range, say so in your first message.
Construction changes your freight bill
Stitched balls ship deflated and packed flat, so more balls fit in each carton. Some bonded designs are shipped inflated or part-inflated to protect their shape, which multiplies carton volume. Ask for the packed carton size with your quote.
Materials
Covers, bladders & panels: what to specify
After construction, three material choices decide how a ball feels, how long it lasts and what it costs: the cover, the bladder and the panel layout.
Cover materials
| Cover | Feel | Durability | Relative cost | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PVC | Hard, often glossy | Very hard-wearing and scuff-resistant | Lowest | Promotional, recreational and playground balls |
| TPU | Softer than PVC, lively rebound | Good | Middle | Training balls and mid-range match balls |
| PU | Softest, most premium touch | Good to very good, depending on grade and backing | Highest | Match balls and premium training balls |
Butyl or latex bladder?
- Butyl
- Holds air much longer and needs little topping up. Slightly firmer feel. The right choice for training, club and retail balls.
- Latex
- Softer, more responsive touch and rebound, but loses air faster and needs inflating more often. Used in match and premium hand-stitched balls.
Panels & backing
The classic 32-panel ball has 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons and is the traditional hand-stitched pattern. Fewer, larger panels reduce the number of seams and are common on machine-stitched and bonded designs. Under the cover, laminated backing layers of polyester and/or cotton give the ball its shape retention and feel; more layers usually make a firmer ball that holds its shape longer.
Tell us your target feel and price, or send a reference ball, and we'll propose the cover, backing and bladder combination.
Training ballPU, TPU or PVC
Sizes & specifications
Official football sizes & specifications
Law 2 of the IFAB Laws of the Game fixes the size 5 ball, and futsal has its own Law 2. Youth sizes 4 and 3 aren't defined in the Laws, so we work to the typical industry ranges below or to your league's rules.
| Ball | Circumference | Weight | Pressure | Other | Used by (guide) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size 5 | 68–70 cm | 410–450 g | 0.6–1.1 atm (8.5–15.6 psi) at sea level | IFAB Law 2 | About 12–13 and over, adults |
| Size 4 | 63.5–66 cm | 350–390 g | To your spec | Typical industry range | About 8–12 |
| Size 3 | 58.5–61 cm | 300–320 g | To your spec | Typical industry range | Under 8–9 |
| Futsal | 62–64 cm | 400–440 g | 0.6–0.9 atm | First bounce 50–65 cm from a 2 m drop | Indoor futsal, all ages |
| Sizes 1–2 | No standard | No standard | To your spec | Skills and promotional minis | Souvenirs, events, fan shops |
Sources: IFAB Law 2, The Ball; The FA, Futsal Law 2. Age guides vary by country and league, so check your local rules. Checked on 10 October 2026.
Certification
FIFA Quality Programme: what the marks mean
Buyers often ask for a "FIFA ball". Here is what the marks actually are, and why you should be wary of any supplier that writes "FIFA standard" on a quote.
| Mark | What it signals | Testing |
|---|---|---|
| FIFA Basic | Minimum quality standards at an affordable price. Replaced the old IMS (International Match Standard) mark. | Laboratory tested to FIFA's entry-level requirements |
| FIFA Quality | Durability for extensive use | Seven lab tests: weight, circumference, roundness (sphericity), rebound, water absorption, loss of pressure, and shape and size retention |
| FIFA Quality Pro | The top level: first-class performance, accuracy and safety | The same tests under even more demanding conditions |
Sources: FIFA, Quality marks explained; FIFA Quality Programme for Footballs. Law 2 requires balls in FIFA and confederation competitions to carry one of these marks.
A mark belongs to a ball model, not a factory
To carry a mark, a specific ball model must pass FIFA's laboratory tests and be covered by a licence with FIFA. Licensees pay a fee and accept FIFA's social-compliance conditions, including the WFSGI Pledge and audits by APSCA-member auditors. Phrases such as "FIFA standard" or "FIFA approved quality" are not FIFA marks.
Our position
ForgeSports does not claim any FIFA mark. FIFA Quality Programme marks appear only on licensed, tested models. If your league, tender or brand plan needs a FIFA-marked ball, talk to us at the brief stage and we'll discuss the testing and licensing route with you.
Most training, promotional and recreational balls don't need a mark. Specify the measurable properties instead (weight, circumference, pressure, rebound) and we'll check them on the sample and in production.
Private label
Private label soccer balls: your logo, colours & packaging
A full brand range, a club's own training ball or a promotional run: the ball carries your brand, not ours.
- Custom design: panel graphics, colourways and logo placement drawn up as artwork and approved on the sample.
- Printing: your logo and graphics printed on the panels in your brand colours. Send vector artwork and colour references, and we'll confirm the print method and number of colours when we quote.
- Ball markings: size, recommended pressure and "Made in Pakistan" printed on the ball where your market needs them.
- Custom packaging: individual boxes, polybags, printed labels and barcodes, packed deflated or inflated. Share any marketplace packaging rules at the brief stage.
Promotional footballs with your custom logo
For promotional distributors and event organisers, a machine-stitched PVC or TPU ball with a one- or two-colour logo is usually the most economical choice. Tell us the quantity, sizes, print colours and delivery deadline, and we'll quote the lowest-cost specification that still looks right with your logo on it.
Your logo & coloursEvery size
Why Sialkot
Why choose a football manufacturer in Sialkot?
Sialkot has stitched footballs for export for generations. Today it combines that hand-stitching skill with machine-stitched and thermo-bonded production, so you can source every tier of ball in one city.
60–70%
Share of the world's hand-stitched footballs made in Sialkot
$256.7M
Pakistan's football exports in FY2025-26, up 11.7% year on year
~98%
Share of Sialkot's football output that is exported
~20%
Share of Sialkot's output still hand-stitched, down from 80–90% five or six years ago
Sources: LUMS Centre for Entrepreneurship (July 2026); Pakistan Bureau of Statistics via APP (Aug 2026) and Nukta (Jul 2026). Figures are for Sialkot's and Pakistan's industry as a whole, not ForgeSports.
World Cup balls from Sialkot
Sialkot's Forward Sports has made adidas World Cup match balls, including the Brazuca for 2014 (also produced in China) and the Telstar 18 for 2018; adidas transferred thermo-bonding technology to the company in 2013. ForgeSports is a separate, independent company. We did not make these balls; we mention them to show what Sialkot's supply base can do.
How we work
How we make your custom soccer balls
As a custom soccer balls manufacturer, we follow the same six steps on every order. You approve the specification, the price and a physical sample before bulk production starts.
Consultation & product brief
Tell us the ball type, sizes, construction, cover, artwork, quantity and target market, or send a reference ball. Our English-speaking team turns it into a specification.
Specification & commercial approval
Weight, circumference and pressure targets, materials and print are written down, with FOB price, MOQ per design, payment terms and estimated timeline.
Sampling & approval
A physical sample with your artwork is sent for you to test: measure it, kick it and leave it inflated for a few days. Production starts only after you approve it.
Production
Panels are cut, printed and stitched or bonded to the approved sample. We send you photos and video during production.
Inspection & quality assurance
Workmanship, materials, branding, sizing, quantity and packaging are checked before dispatch, including the ball checks below.
Packing & shipment
Balls are packed deflated or inflated to your requirements, ready for your forwarder. We stay in touch until they arrive.
Quality & terms
Ball quality checks, MOQ & timelines
A ball can look perfect and still be out of specification. We agree measurable targets and tolerances in your specification, then check against them on the sample and in production. Wholesale footballs are quoted per design, because construction, cover and print set-up move the price more than anything else.
- MOQ
- Confirmed per design at the quote stage
- Pricing
- Quoted per specification, FOB, in US dollars
- Samples
- Physical sample with your artwork, approved before production
- Timeline
- Confirmed in writing at the specification stage
- Payment
- Agreed at commercial approval, before sampling
- Updates
- Photos and video during production
- Packing
- Deflated or inflated, to your specification
What we check on footballs before dispatch
- Weight against the specification, for example 410–450 g for a size 5
- Circumference, measured at several points around the ball
- Roundness: diameter measured across different panels
- Rebound: a drop test from a fixed height against your target
- Pressure retention: inflated balls rechecked after a rest period agreed in the specification
- Seams or bonding, panel alignment, valve and print quality
- Quantities, packing list, labels and carton marks
Need lab test reports or a third-party inspection? Tell us at the brief stage and we'll plan them into the schedule.
Importing footballs
HS code & import duty for footballs
Inflatable footballs are classified under HS 9506.62. Duty is zero or close to it in most markets, but the US now adds a Section 301 duty on Pakistan-origin goods.
| Market | Tariff code | Standard duty | On Pakistan-origin balls |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 9506.62.4080 | Free (MFN) | 10% Section 301, from 24 July 2026 |
| United Kingdom | 9506 62 00 00 | 2% | 0% under DCTS Enhanced Preferences |
| European Union | 9506 62 00 | 2.7% | 0% under GSP+ |
| Canada | 9506.62 | Free (MFN) | Free |
| Australia | 9506.62.00 | Free | Free |
Rates as of 10 October 2026, from the USITC HTS, UK Trade Tariff, EU TARIC, the CBSA customs tariff and the ABF tariff schedule. The US Section 301 duty (HTSUS 9903.05.62) applies to goods entered on or after 24 July 2026; a court challenge is pending. US entries also pay MPF and, by sea, HMF. UK and EU rates need valid proof of origin; Pakistan must reapply under the EU's new GSP scheme from 2027, with current preferences continuing during a transition to the end of 2028.
Origin marking (US)
Each ball, or its container where allowed, must be marked with its country of origin, for example "Made in Pakistan", legibly and permanently. Plan where the mark goes (on the ball panel or its packaging) at the artwork stage.
Children's balls in the US
A size 3 or mini ball designed or marketed mainly for children aged 12 and under is a children's product under CPSIA: plan third-party testing and a Children's Product Certificate.
Full import guide
Duty for the US, UK, EU, Canada and Australia, plus Incoterms, payment and shipping from Sialkot.
See import duty by market
FAQ
Soccer ball manufacturer FAQ
What is the MOQ for custom footballs?
We confirm the MOQ per design when we quote, because it depends on the construction, the cover material and the print set-up. Tell us your quantity per design and size in your enquiry. As a guide, Sialkot factories commonly quote from around 100 balls per design for custom-printed balls.
How much do private label soccer balls cost?
Footballs are quoted per specification. The main price drivers are the construction (thermo-bonded and hand-stitched cost more than machine-stitched), the cover (PU, TPU or PVC), the bladder, the number of backing layers, the print colours, the packaging and the quantity. Send your target retail price and we'll suggest a specification that fits it.
What's the difference between hand-stitched, machine-stitched, thermo-bonded and hybrid balls?
Hand-stitched balls have a soft touch and strong seams but are slow to make. Machine-stitched balls are the cheapest and suit training and promotional use. Thermo-bonded balls have heat-glued panels, so they are the roundest and closest to waterproof. "Hybrid" has no fixed meaning: it often describes machine-stitched balls with glued seams, so ask any supplier to define it in writing.
Can you make FIFA Quality or FIFA Quality Pro balls?
A FIFA mark can only appear on a specific ball model that has passed FIFA's laboratory tests and is licensed. ForgeSports does not claim any FIFA mark. If you need a FIFA-marked ball, talk to us at the brief stage and we'll discuss the testing and licensing route. Never accept a ball printed with "FIFA standard" or similar wording: it isn't a FIFA mark.
What are the official size 5 football specifications?
Under IFAB Law 2, a size 5 ball has a circumference of 68–70 cm, weighs 410–450 g at the start of the match, and is inflated to 0.6–1.1 atmospheres (8.5–15.6 psi) at sea level.
How are futsal balls different?
Futsal balls are smaller (62–64 cm) but heavy for their size (400–440 g), with a low-bounce build: the first rebound must be 50–65 cm when dropped from 2 m. Pressure is 0.6–0.9 atm. That low bounce keeps the ball on the floor on hard indoor courts.
PU, TPU or PVC: which cover should I choose?
PVC is the cheapest and most hard-wearing, so it suits promotional and recreational balls. TPU is the mid-range choice for training balls. PU has the softest, most premium touch and is used on match balls and premium training balls.
Butyl or latex bladder?
Butyl holds air much longer and needs little maintenance, which suits training, club and retail balls. Latex gives a softer, more responsive feel but loses air faster, so it needs inflating more often. It's normally reserved for match and premium hand-stitched balls.
How long does a custom football order take?
We confirm the timeline in writing at the specification stage. As a guide, Sialkot ball makers typically quote around four to six weeks of production after sample approval, depending on construction, quantity and printing. Then add freight: around a week by air, or several weeks by sea.
What import duty will I pay on footballs from Pakistan?
As of 10 October 2026, inflatable footballs (HS 9506.62) are duty-free under the US MFN rate but pay a 10% Section 301 duty on Pakistan-origin goods entered from 24 July 2026. The UK and EU charge 0% under DCTS and GSP+ with valid proof of origin, and Canada and Australia charge no duty. See our import guide.
Complete your range
Add goalkeeper gloves to your football line, or source combat-sports gear from the same supplier.
Request a quote
Get your FOB quote
Tell us the product, quantity and branding you need. Our English-speaking team confirms specification, price, MOQ and timeline before any sample is made.
- MOQ from 20 pairs on boxing & MMA gear
- Physical sample approved before production
- Photos and video sent during production
- WhatsApp +92 300 180 9474
- Call +92 300 180 9474
- business@goforgesports.com
- Instagram @forgesportsglobal
- Facebook /forgesports
- Airport Road, Kawarpur, Sialkot, Pakistan